Mail routing system utilizing printed indicia-containing mailing addresses

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, the present invention provides an exemplary system that includes a mechanism configured to create by a digital mailing services provider, DMSP, a recipient-specific handling information indicia and provide said recipient-specific handling information indicia to a recipient; a mechanism configured to allow the recipient to provide said handling information indicia in delivery address C/O line, on a mail item, thereby indicating to said service provider their desired handling route for the mail item so that a paper mail recipient to receive improved transmission of correspondence from said service provider via both paper and electronic channels solely via including said handling information indicia contained in the delivery address C/O line of the recipient&#39;s delivery address on the mail item.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/962,883, filed Apr. 25, 2018, which claims benefit of U.S.provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/503,254, filed May 8, 2017,which are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention pertains generally to the manner in which deliveryaddress information is printed on mail pieces intended for delivery bythe USPS. Specifically, is relates to a mail routing system thatutilizes an indicator printed on mail items that indicates how therecipient desires the mail item to be processed. More specifically, itpertains to the delivery address line in which “Care Of” (or “C/O”)information indicia reside to indicate to the mail processor whetherphysical and/or electronic processing is desired for that mail item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to thefollowing drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1—PRIOR ART—shows a possible configuration for a printed address ona mail item in which processing/handling indicia is located in an“Optional Company Information Line”, as regulated by the USPS.

FIG. 2 shows a possible configuration for a printed address on a mailitem in which processing/handling indicia is contained in an exemplaryline noting “C/O DMSP #12345678”, which directs the mailing entity toprocess/handle the mail item in a particular physical and/or electronicmanner.

FIG. 3 shows a possible configuration for a printed address on a mailitem in which processing/handling indicia is contained in an exemplaryline noting “C/O DMSP #12345678 Paperless”, which directs the mailingentity to process/handle the mail item in an electronic (paperless)manner.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing the subject system's processing steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for illustrative purposesthe present invention is embodied in the addressed mail items generallyshown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that the subjectsystem's exact appearance for the printed mail items may vary as toconfiguration and location of informational lines and that the methodmay vary as to the specific steps and sequence, without departing fromthe basic concepts as disclosed herein.

Specifically, an account holder (usually the individual or entity thatwill have a specific address printed on a mail item) directs a serviceprovider to include, in the delivery address for correspondence, a “CareOf” (C/O) line containing information indicia obtained from and writtenin conformance with specifications from a third party, a Digital MailingServices Provider supporting Optional Company Information Line (OCIL)Digital Addressing. The account holder then controls the manner in whichsuch correspondence is conducted, e.g. via paper/physical or electronicmeans, by manipulating the contents of the “Care Of” line and/or theaccount settings with either the original service provider or the OCILDigital Mailing Services Provider or both. Part of the information inthe “Care Of” line makes up the recipient's OCIL Digital MailingAddress, providing the Digital Mailing Services Provider the means todirect an electronic version of the correspondence securely to theaccount holder's digital mail box, in a manner that is superior to bothordinary email and current Digital Postal Mailbox service providers.

Generally, the subject invention interrelates three mail item processingareas: 1) paper mail delivery address standards that are controlled bythe United States Postal Service (USPS); 2) the manner in whichindividual account holders direct government entities and/or commercialinterests to address paper/physical correspondence to them; and 3) themanner in which individual account holders direct government entitiesand/or commercial interests to address electronic correspondence tothem.

Paper Mail Delivery Address Standards—With regard to the first itemnoted above, paper mail delivery address standards, the USPS requiresmail piece “delivery addresses” to be written as seen in FIG. 1 (PRIORART). Mail pieces bearing delivery addresses in compliance with thisstandard enjoy the full protection of the U.S. Postal InspectionService, the primary federal law enforcement and security arm of theUSPS. Postal Inspectors protect customers and investigate criminals whofraudulently misuse the U.S. Mail to commit crime. Through its securityand enforcement functions, the Postal Inspection Service providesassurance to postal customers that their mail will be delivered safelyand securely. This is particularly important for mailers such as healthcare providers, financial institutions, and other service providers whoare obligated to protect the personal information of account holders,including when such information is being conveyed to account holdersthrough the U.S. mail.

The USPS provides customers the right to use the “Optional CompanyInformation Line” (OCIL) when, for example, the recipient named above isnot the owner of the receptacle at the address that follows. However,the use of the OCIL by recipients is not restricted to suchapplications; in fact its actual purpose is solely to modify the postalservice's delivery obligations.

In particular, postal regulations provide that the USPS can deliver mailmarked with the “Care Of” address line either to the recipient namedabove, or to the receptacle (or owner of the receptacle) at the addressthat follows (with the recipient named above taking precedence when bothare available at the same moment). In either case, the mail piece iscovered by the same full protection of the U.S. Postal InspectionService.

The Manner in which Individuals Have Paper Correspondence Addressed toThem—With regard to the second item noted above, the manner in whichindividual account holders direct government entities and/or commercialinterests to address paper correspondence to them, generally a name andaddress is used for this purpose, even though such information is ofteninsufficient to identify a specific individual. This is despite the factthat service provider/service receiver relationships must by their verynature be unambiguous, i.e. between separate and distinct individualsand/or legal entities, even when different clients/recipients (the word“recipient” will be utilized to refer to a client) bear the same name.Further, even when different recipients bear the same name and reside atthe same address, the government entities and/or commercial interestsstill quite clearly distinguish the individual identities of theseparate account holders, as they obviously must in order to upholdtheir contractual commitments to the service receivers.

To uphold this obligation in spite of the non-uniqueness of names andaddresses, government entities and/or commercial interests go extralengths to eliminate potential ambiguity when establishing suchrelationships, for example by requiring the recipient to show a photo IDto a trusted associate or by hiring a notary to certify that a personwith a particular name and address is one specific legal entity and notany other.

Upon achieving this “special state of certainty” about the uniqueness ofan individual's identity, the government entity or commercial interestuniquely (for its purposes) identifies its relationship with therecipient using a special designator, usually referred to as an accountnumber. The term “account number” is imprecise because designators ofteninclude letters as well as numbers, but in all cases the designatoris: 1) unique (within the government entity or commercial interest); 2)is associated with one particular legal recipient entity and not anyother; and 3) is the service provider's primary identifier of therelationship, i.e. the recipient's name and address can be non-uniquewithout compromising the “special state of certainty” achieved at theoutset of the relationship.

Thus, a discrepancy often exists whenever a government entity orcommercial interest addresses paper correspondence to individual accountholders: There is a “special state of certainty” about the identity ofthe intended recipient, but the means by which the delivery address iscomposed is unable to uphold this level of unambiguousness.

The Manner in which Individuals Have Electronic Correspondence Addressedto Them—With regard to the third item noted above, the manner in whichindividuals direct government entities and commercial interests toaddress electronic correspondence to them, typically this is done usingan email address. To a large degree this alleviates the delivery addressambiguity problem. When the recipient initially shares their emailaddress with the service provider, it is checked for uniqueness andvalidity in a manner that delivers much the same assurance that mailersobtain when recipients submit postal addresses. Afterwards the serviceprovider usually allows the recipient to choose whether theircorrespondence should be handled via paper mail, email, or both, anddepending on the selection, one or the other type of address is used fortransmission.

The other means by which correspondence is transmitted electronically isvia digital mailbox service providers such as Volly, Zumbox, doxo, andManilla. The manner in which recipients direct government entitiesand/or commercial interests to transmit correspondence using thesechannels often requires that the recipient share confidentialinformation with the digital mail box service provider.

In some embodiments, the subject invention is directed to providing therecipient with an “OCIL digital mailing address” supplied by anOCIL-compliant “digital mailing services provider” that the recipiententers into the “Optional Company Information Line” of their deliveryaddress (often between the recipient's name and street address). TheOCIL-compliant Digital Mailing Services Provider (OCIL DMSP) is acommercial entity with which the recipient establishes an as-above“special state of certainty” relationship, identified as usual by anaccount number assigned and controlled by the DMSP. The DMSP thensupplies the recipient with a special kind of “address”, anOCIL-compliant “digital mailing address”, which is a unique butnon-confidential identifier suitable for presentation through theaddress window of an envelope (or printed on an envelope or applied toan envelope)—just like a postal address—but which only the recipient andthe DMSP know to be associated with that recipient's DMSP accountnumber.

In some embodiments, the subject invention allows the recipient with ameans to impact how the paper mail correspondence address is created.For example, the DMSP recipient contacts any government entity orcommercial interest from which they expect to receive papercorrespondence and changes their mailing address to include their OCILDigital Mailing Address in the “Care Of” line (again, often between therecipient's name and street address). In each case their new deliveryaddress would appear, for example, as seen in FIG. 2 (assuming a DMSPname of DMSP and Digital Mailing Address of 12345768).

The result is a delivery address that the intended recipient canrecognize unmistakably as directed solely to them. And because thedelivery address still conforms to USPS standards, the mail piececontinues to enjoy the full protection of the U.S. Postal InspectionService all the way to the physical receptacle. Note that no otherchanges are required on the part of the mailer; the changes are solelyto the recipient's OCIL, which is controlled by the account holder.

The problem of identical letters addressed to same-name, same-addressrecipients is immediately solved because the DMSP recipient can directthat any number of government and/or commercial interests also use C/ODMSP #12345678 on the Optional Company Information Line of all papercorrespondence.

The DMSP recipient does not need the permission of any of these “specialstate of certainty” mailers to use the invention in this fashion, yetthe recipient still receives all the benefits of reduced uncertainty asto the intended recipient.

The recipient is assured by their “special state of certainty”relationship with the DMSP that no other individual possesses the samedigital mail box at DMSP #12345678. Additionally, mailers sending suchpaper correspondence are assured that each mail piece will still enjoythe full protection of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service all the way tothe physical receptacle. At the same time, the invention provides therecipient with a means to solve electronically transmittedcorrespondence problems as well.

If a mailer chooses, it can establish relationships with one or moreOCIL DMSPs, such that if one of the mailer's recipients enters anOCIL-compliant Digital Mailing Address on the Optional CompanyInformation Line for their paper correspondence, the mailer can check itfor uniqueness and validity in much the same way that they do postaladdresses or email addresses.

For example, the USPS today provides mailers with a means for verifyingthat delivery addresses for physical receptacles are composed in amanner that exactly matches one and only one receptacle out of all thosethe USPS can reach, and even to correct it if such correction can bemade with assurance. DMSPs can provide a similar means for providing theexact same level of assurance of OCIL digital mailing address quality.Upon doing so, the mailer now has a new channel for electronicallytransmitting correspondence to the recipient: via the recipient's OCILdigital mailing address (OCIL DMA). Mailers have a significant incentiveto do so because conveying correspondence to recipients electronicallyis much less expensive than doing so via USPS.

The subject invention provides a straight forward means for therecipient to indicate to participating mailers that the recipient'scorrespondence should be directed to their digital mail box at the DMSPrather than to the USPS's physical receptacle. That means is byindicating so on the “Care Of” line itself, by modifying the content incompliance with the DMSP's specifications. Mailers will recognize thenotation because doing so was one of the requirements that had beenagreed between the mailer and the DMSP when the mailer established adigital mailing relationship with the DMSP.

In some embodiments, the invention allows for the particular manner inwhich the composition of the “Care Of” line is changed to indicate therecipient's preference for electronic delivery to be determined by theDMSP. An example of how such a change might be carried out is shown inFIG. 3. In this case, the word Paperless is appended to the end of the“Optional Company Information Line” signaling that, should the mailer beprepared to do so and choose to do so, the recipient would prefer thatan electronic version of the document be transmitted to digital mail box#12345678 using digital mail services provider DMSP, and the mailer canbe assured that the document will be transmitted to the recipientsecurely and reliably and in accordance with their wishes.

Note that the subject invention provides a means for the recipient toswitch electronic delivery on and off without changing anything in themailer's database other than their own delivery address. All therecipient has to do is change the content of the OCIL of the deliveryaddress that they've asked the mailer to use for their correspondence.

Also, note that the subject invention provides a means for the recipientto change from one OCIL DMSP to another without changing anything in themailer's database other than their delivery address.

Further, note that the subject invention provides the recipient a meansto have any mailer include fully OCIL DMSP-compliant digital addressinginformation and directions in the “Optional Company Information Line”without obtaining the mailer's permission, and regardless of whether themailer maintains any relationships with OCIL DMSPs or supports any OCILDMSP-compliant functionality.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, note that the subject inventionprovides the recipient a means to enjoy OCIL DMSP services withoutnecessarily impacting any of their other correspondence channels. Forexample, OCIL DMSP recipients can choose to continue receivingcorrespondence via paper mail, email, and even other Digital MailboxServices providers, or any combination thereof, because the inventiondoes not in any way impede the delivery of correspondence over any ofthese channels.

Moreover, in some embodiments, note that the subject invention providesthe recipient a means to enjoy otherwise-unobtainable OCIL DMSP servicesby having paper mail pieces intercepted in transit by third partymailers and commingling service providers who can reliably determine therecipient's wishes and carry them out using solely the informationcontained in the OCIL digital mailing address, because all the necessarydelivery address information is contained in the line “C/O DMSP#12345678 Paperless”, as seen in FIG. 3. In such cases, provided thatthe third party mailer and/or commingling service provider hasestablished the necessary relationship with the called-for OCIL DMSP andupholds the associated requirements for information security andhandling reliability, and since the USPS likely has not yet been paid tophysically deliver the mail piece, it could very well be more economicalto follow the recipient's wishes and convert the document to electronicformat and transmit it by OCIL DMSP, then securely destroy the originalpaper mail piece.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that displays the components of an exemplarysubject system and process in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. Initially, as seen in step 5 of FIG. 4, a DMSP and aspecific recipient communicate with one another about the creation ofrecipient-specific handling information indicia. The communication maybe by physical mail or by electronic means (webpage, email, socialmedia, and the like) and may be the result of an advertisement or offerby the DMSP for electronic mailing services to which the recipientresponds. Once the handling information indicia is created by DMSP it isprovided to the recipient by a suitable means (physical mail orelectronically).

In some embodiments, the recipient may communicate to the serviceprovider instructions, either via paper or electronically, for how tohandle each mail item by noting the handling information indicia createdby the DMSP. Such information may be communicated by the recipient byaltering their account information with the service provider to indicatehow they would like to have their mail items handled, either via papermailing, electronically, or both. As seen at step 10 in FIG. 4,frequently the recipient enters their account details information form(physically or electronically) and then the handling information indiciais entered by the recipient in a “mailing address line 1” entry space orthe USPS-acceptable “C/O” line between the recipient's name and a streetaddress.

As can be seen at step 15 in FIG. 4, once the service provider receivesthe mail item handling information indicia from the recipient theservice provider prints the recipient's handling information indicia(letters and/or numbers and/or characters) on each mail item. Theprinting may be on a sheet inside an envelope that shows through atransparent window or on the exterior surface of the mail item or by anyequivalent means.

Next, in step 20 of FIG.4, either the original service provider or theDMSP reads the handling information indicia on delivery address C/O lineof each mail item. Appropriate scanners, cameras, and like devicesperform the reading process.

Lastly, in step 25 of FIG. 4, either the original service provider orthe DMSP processes each mail item as directed by the detected handlinginformation indicia on the delivery address C/O line of each mail item.

Clearly, suitably adapted mailing machines and controlling computerswith appropriate programming are interfaced with the various steps inthe subject invention.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides for a system for apaper mail recipient to receive improved transmission of correspondencefrom a service provider via both paper and electronic channels solelythrough the use of information contained in the Optional CompanyInformation Line of the recipient's delivery address on a mail item,comprising:

-   -   a. means for creating by a digital mailing services provider,        DMSP, a recipient-specific handling information indicia and        providing said recipient-specific handling information indicia        to the recipient;    -   b. means for the recipient to enter said handling information        indicia into the Optional Company Information Line, delivery        address C/O line, on the mail item, thereby indicating to said        service provider their desired handling route for the mail item;    -   c. means for the service provider to print the recipient's        handling information indicia on the mail item;    -   d. means for either the original service provider or said DMSP        to read the handling information indicia on said delivery        address C/O line of the mail item; and    -   e. means for either the original service provider or said DMSP        to process the mail item as directed by the read handling        information indicia on said delivery address C/O line of the        mail item.

In some embodiments, the present invetion provides for a method for apaper mail recipient to receive improved transmission of correspondencefrom a service provider via both paper and electronic channels solelythrough the use of information contained in the Optional CompanyInformation Line of the recipient's delivery address on a mail item,comprising:

-   -   a. creating by a digital mailing services provider, DMSP, a        recipient-specific handling information indicia and providing        said recipient-specific handling information indicia to the        recipient;    -   b. entering by the recipient said handling information indicia        into the Optional Company Information Line, delivery address C/O        line, on the mail item, thereby indicating to said service        provider their desired handling route for the mail item;    -   c. printing by the service provider the recipient's handling        information indicia on the mail item;    -   d. reading by either the original service provider or said DMSP        the handling information indicia on said delivery address C/O        line of the mail item; and    -   e. processing the mail item by either the original service        provider or said DMSP as directed by the read handling        information indicia on said delivery address C/O line of the        mail item.

In some embodiments, the information in said handling informationindicia on said delivery address C/O line of the mail item that the mailitem is to be handled in a paperless manner.

Embodiments of the subject invention include, but are not limited to, asystem and method that allows a paper mail recipient to receive improvedtransmission of correspondence from a service provider via both paperand electronic channels solely through the use of information containedin the Optional Company Information Line of the recipient's deliveryaddress on a mail item. In some embodiments, the exemplary subjectsystem and subject method that is carried out by the subject systemcomprises: means for creating by a digital mailing services provider,DMSP, a recipient-specific handling information indicia and providingthe recipient-specific handling information indicia to the recipient;means for the recipient to enter the handling information indicia intothe Optional Company Information Line, delivery address C/O line, on themail item, thereby indicating to said service provider their desiredhandling route for the mail item; means for the service provider toprint the recipient's handling information indicia on the mail item;means for either the original service provider or said DMSP to read thehandling information indicia on the delivery address C/O line of themail item; and means for either the original service provider or saidDMSP to process the mail item as directed by the read handlinginformation indicia on the delivery address C/O line of the mail item.An additional embodiment includes information in said handlinginformation indicia on the delivery address C/O line of the mail itemthat the mail item is to be handled in a paperless manner.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides an exemplary systemthat at least includes a mechanism configured to create by a digitalmailing services provider, DMSP, a recipient-specific handlinginformation indicia and provide said recipient-specific handlinginformation indicia to a recipient; a mechanism configured to allow therecipient to provide said handling information indicia in an OptionalCompany Information Line, delivery address C/O line, on a mail item,thereby indicating to said service provider their desired handling routefor the mail item so that a paper mail recipient to receive improvedtransmission of correspondence from said service provider via both paperand electronic channels solely via including said handling informationindicia contained in the delivery address C/O line of the recipient'sdelivery address on the mail item; a mechanism configured to enable theservice provider to add the recipient's handling information indicia tothe mail item; a mechanism configured to enable the original serviceprovider, said DMSP, or both, to acquire the handling informationindicia from said delivery address C/O line of the mail item; and amechanism configured to enable the original service provider, said DMSP,or both, to process the mail item as directed by the handlinginformation indicia.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides an exemplarycomputer-implemented method that includes creating by a digital mailingservices provider, DMSP, a recipient-specific handling informationindicia and providing said recipient-specific handling informationindicia to a recipient; enabling the recipient to provide said handlinginformation indicia in an Optional Company Information Line, deliveryaddress C/O line, on a mail item, thereby indicating to said serviceprovider their desired handling route for the mail item so that a papermail recipient to receive improved transmission of correspondence fromsaid service provider via both paper and electronic channels solely viaincluding said handling information indicia contained in the deliveryaddress C/O line of the recipient's delivery address on the mail item;enabling the service provider to add the recipient's handlinginformation indicia on the mail item; enabling the original serviceprovider, said DMSP, or both, to acquire the handling informationindicia from said delivery address C/O line of the mail item; andenabling the original service provider, said DMSP, or both, to processthe mail item as directed by the handling information indicia.

Embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference toequations, algorithms, and/or flowchart illustrations of methodsaccording to embodiments of the invention. These methods may beimplemented using computer program instructions executable on acomputer. These methods may also be implemented as computer programproducts either separately, or as a component of an apparatus or system.In this regard, each equation, algorithm, or block or step of aflowchart, and combinations thereof, may be implemented by variousmeans, such as hardware, firmware, and/or software including one or morecomputer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program codelogic. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructionsmay be loaded onto a computer, including without limitation a generalpurpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmableprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the computerprogram instructions which execute on the computer or other programmableprocessing apparatus create means for implementing the functionsspecified in the equation(s), algorithm(s), and/or flowchart(s).

Accordingly, the equations, algorithms, and /or flowcharts supportcombinations of means for performing the specified functions,combinations of steps for performing the specified functions, andcomputer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readableprogram code logic means, for performing the specified functions. Itwill also be understood that each equation, algorithm, and/or block inflowchart illustrations, and combinations thereof, may be implemented byspecial purpose hardware-based computer systems which perform thespecified functions or steps, or combinations of special purposehardware and computer-readable program code logic means.

Furthermore, these computer program instructions, such as embodied incomputer-readable program code logic, may also be stored in a computerreadable memory that can direct a computer or other programmableprocessing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that theinstructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an articleof manufacture including instruction means which implement the functionspecified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s). The computer programinstructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmableprocessing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to beperformed on the computer or other programmable processing apparatus toproduce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions whichexecute on the computer or other programmable processing apparatusprovide steps for implementing the functions specified in theequation(s), algorithm(s), and/or block(s) of the flowchart(s).

Although the description above contains many details, these should notbe construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope ofthe present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which maybecome obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of thepresent invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than theappended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is notintended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, butrather “one or more.” All structural, chemical, and functionalequivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodimentthat are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expresslyincorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed bythe present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or methodto address each and every problem sought to be solved by the presentinvention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore,no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure isintended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether theelement, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims.No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recitedusing the phrase “means for.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A mailing system comprising: a first computerprogrammed to create an original recipient-specific handling informationindicia for a mail item recipient; a physical mailing mechanism or anelectronic channel mechanism wherein each respective mechanism isconfigured to allow the mail item recipient to modify said originalrecipient-specific handling information indicia, either: i) physicallyin a field on a printed mail item, or ii) electronically, therebyindicating to said DMSP the mail item recipient's desired handling routefor the printed mail item so that the mail item recipient receivesimproved transmission of correspondence from said DMSP via both paperand electronic channels; a second computer programmed to enable the DMSPto add the mail item recipient's modified recipient-specific handlinginformation indicia to future mail items, via a linked printer; and athird computer programmed to enable the original service provider, saidDMSP, or both, to process the mail item as directed by the modifiedrecipient-specific handling information indicia.